


To Keep You Warm

by elsewherewolf



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Affection, Fluff, Knitting, M/M, but it's still cute I hope, so sweet it'll rot teeth, yeah I wrote something without any sexytimes!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-04
Updated: 2013-09-04
Packaged: 2017-12-25 14:18:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/954119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elsewherewolf/pseuds/elsewherewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the prompt: Herc/Raleigh - knitting, and knitwear as a sign of affection.</p>
<p>Herc didn't know Raleigh could knit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Keep You Warm

**Author's Note:**

> Now also available [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/972633) in Chinese, thanks to [bangbingchan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bangbingchan).

Herc has to look again, because he can't have just seen what he thought he saw. Surely. 

_Yup. That's Raleigh. Knitting._ Which kind of explains the home-made appearance of the sweaters he's so fond of wearing, but he'd never actually considered that Raleigh was the one responsible for them. But there he is, needles moving furiously, a look of concentration on his face so deep that Herc doesn't have the heart to disturb him and ask _so, whatcha making?_

+

Two days later, a package appears outside Herc's door. It's soft, wrapped in brown paper and he knows even before he looks at the tag that it's from Raleigh. He looks both ways down the corridor, but Raleigh is nowhere in sight.

Not a bad knitter, either, from the quality of the scarf Herc unwraps. Striker's colours, too, which brings a lump to Herc's throat. "Well, shit."

+

He doesn't see Raleigh until after dinner. The kid's sitting on the step outside Herc's room, something bundled up under his arm. His face lights up a little when he notices that Herc is wearing his scarf, and Herc has to wonder how much to read into that.

"Someone told me it's your birthday," Raleigh says, as though he needs to explain.

"Yeah, but. Let's keep that between us, shall we? Thanks for the scarf, by the way." 

Raleigh's left sleeve is pulled down over his hand; Herc sees him playing with it nervously. "That's okay. I figure it's pretty cold out there sometimes."

"It's great. Didn't know you could knit."

"Full of surprises. Oh, so. There's something else."

"You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to." Raleigh thrusts the other package at Herc, his expression a strange mixture of fear, hope and something else.

"Come inside, at least. I need someone to share my birthday cupcake with."

The expression cracks into a strained smile, and Raleigh just nods. "Okay."

+

Herc wasn't kidding about the cupcake, either. He grabs two beers from the fridge and hands one to Raleigh. "Right, we have cake and drink, now I can do presents." 

"Yancy always used to stay up til midnight, the night before his birthday, or Christmas..." Raleigh smiles, but it's a sad smile. Herc recognises it, he's seen it himself when he's looked in the mirror. "He'd insist on opening his gifts as soon as it was the right day. Herc, listen. It's not much. I just wanted-"

"Not much a man my age needs anyway." 

Raleigh leans back, giving Herc an appraising look. "I don't know, mid-life crisis years are nearly on you. Pretty soon you'll need a motorcycle and a woman half your age."

Herc stops, midway through tearing the parcel open, wondering if he imagined that calculating tone. "I _do_ have a soft spot for Harleys."

Raleigh meets his eyes, not looking away until Herc does. 

"Oh," Herc says, quietly.

"You don't like it?"

Herc lifts the sweater out, staring at it. "Are you kidding?"

"It's just... I thought it'd keep you warm, when you get that motorcycle. Or any other time, I guess."

"I do like it, Raleigh. It must've taken you weeks."

"I didn't have much else going on."

"It's a big deal to me, okay? Thank you." He almost says 'get over here and give an old man a hug', but he doesn't hug and he's pretty sure it's not what Raleigh wants from him. "Are we going to stop dancing around this?"

"I don't know what you-"

"I mean the gifts. Not just the gifts, but the way you brought me food when I couldn't face the mess hall. The times you came by the office to help out. The way you look at me sometimes."

"You should try it on, make sure it fits."

Herc stares at Raleigh for a moment, but goes ahead and pulls the sweater over his head. He smoothes it down, picks a piece of the cupcake off the plate and holds out his hand, offering it to Raleigh.

There's some sort of emotional stand-off going on in Raleigh's head, Herc can see it plain as day. Finally, _finally_ Raleigh opens his mouth and takes the bite. Herc pushes the tips of his fingers after it, and Raleigh's eyes widen then narrow and a second later he's out of his seat, pulling Herc up against him, and Herc gets his fingers into the soft, chunky wool of Raleigh's sweater, smiles.

" _Now_ it's a party."


End file.
